Walt Disney Co. has agreed to acquire Lucasfilm for $4.05 billion in a surprise deal that gives the media giant control of the "Star Wars" franchise.

Along with the purchase, Disney announced that it plans to release a seventh live-action "Star Wars" movie in 2015.

The agreement continues Chief Executive Bob Iger's strategy of growing Disney through huge acquisitions that give the Burbank company control of key pieces of intellectual property. In 2009, Disney acquired Marvel Entertainment for $4 billion, a deal that resulted in this year's hit "The Avengers." In 2006, Disney acquired "Toy Story" and "Cars" maker Pixar Animation Studios for $7.4 billion.

"This transaction combines a world-class portfolio of content including 'Star Wars,' one of the greatest family entertainment franchises of all time, with Disney's unique and unparalleled creativity across multiple platforms, businesses and markets to generate sustained growth and drive significant long-term value," Iger said in a statement.

In addition to "Star Wars," Disney's purchase of San Francisco-based Lucasfilm will give it ownership of special-effects company Industrial Light & Magic, sound company Skywalker Sound and video game publisher LucasArts.

In June, "Star Wars" director and Lucasfilm owner George Lucas announced his plans to retire, and named producer Kathleen Kennedy as chief executive of Lucasfilm, which he wholly owns. Once the Disney acquisition is complete, Kennedy will become president of Disney's Lucasfilm unit and report to Walt Disney Studios Chairman Alan Horn.

For fans, the most stunning part of Tuesday's announcement is likely Disney's intention to make more "Star Wars" movies. Following the one targeted for release in 2015, the company said "more feature films [are] expected to continue the 'Star Wars' saga and grow the franchise well into the future."

In addition to new movies, Disney will look to use the "Star Wars" franchise throughout its businesses, including theme parks, consumer products, television and digital platforms.

"I've always believed that 'Star Wars' could live beyond me, and I thought it was important to set up the transition during my lifetime," George Lucas said in a statement. "I'm confident that with Lucasfilm under the leadership of Kathleen Kennedy, and having a new home within the Disney organization, 'Star Wars' will certainly live on and flourish for many generations to come. Disney's reach and experience give Lucasfilm the opportunity to blaze new trails in film, television, interactive media, theme parks, live entertainment, and consumer products."

Disney is funding approximately half of the purchase price with cash and the rest by issuing 40 million shares of stock. Regulatory authories must still approve the acquisition before it can close.

VIDEO: George Lucas Discusses The New Era Of STAR WARS; "I Get To Be A Fan Now"

As you should know by now, Disney have bought Lucasfilm for $4 billion, and have announced that the first in a trilogy of new Star Wars films will be released in 2015. In the following videos, George Lucas, Bob Iger and Kathleen Kennedy map out the future of the franchise for us.

Recollection, speculation, and optimism now fuel the future of a galaxy far, far away!tasman71 - 10/31/2012

Years ago, well, more like decades, I remember an interview George Lucas did on some talk show. As a young Star Wars fan, as I think this was after Empire Strikes Back just came out, when I heard him say this, I was stoked!

When asked about the future of this Star Wars thing Lucas had started and where it was going, GL replied{summarized from memory}, "It's a 9 part story about these two robots. Hopefully, I can make them all in my lifetime but, we will have to see how the next one does."

Once the internet arrived and people began posting videos, I began watching and waiting for that video to appear. Alas, it has not done so to this day.

As a ravenous and immersed Star Wars junkie, I received the Disney buying Lucasfilm with cautious uncertainty. Given what the Disney/Marvel alliance has done, I do have high hopes but, at the same time, those hopes are tempered by just how badly it can all get screwed up.

What we have in Star Wars is a massive universe with a continuity that GL has worked hard to ensure, even in the expanded universe. He and his inner circle dictate what may and may not be used in the novels. I know this as a good friend of mine has written several and told me he was advised what had to be removed when his first draft was submitted. He was told GL was keeping those particular topics on his own boards.

So, by that we can determine GL has a plan for 7, 8, and 9. What is that plan? Well, only he knows for sure but, I believe we can do some fairly certain deducing based on GLs track record.

From that long ago interview, it is fairly certain C3PO and R2D2 will be in the new movies. Based on the time gap between Prequel and Original, we can be certain that, if any Original characters appear, they will be older and may only appear briefly.

Taking those certainties into account, I pose what could very well be the beginning of Episode 7.

Set 30-40 years out of Return of the Jedi, our opening scene could be an aged Luke, Han, Leia, and Lando, reprised by the originals, boarding a still functioning Millenium Falcon for one final diplomatic mission. They board the Falcon, saying farewell to their remaining offspring, Jaina Solo and Ben Skywalker, along with a cadre of Jedi, Galactic Alliance personnel, and C3PO and R2D2.

Right as the Falcon begins the jump to lightspeed, it blows up.

Thus begins a new dark time as the Sith reappear as the culprits behind the deaths but, not the Sith under the rule of two, instead, the Sith as a focused army.

Episode 7 ends with the G.A. in disarray and full retreat and the Jedi Order severely hurt.

Episode 8 would cover the G.A. fighting a running war with the Sith fleet as Jaina, Ben, Lowbacca, Tenel Ka, and the droids seek a way for the 55 Jedi who remain to overcome the 125 Sith. It ends with them finding a lost world, where neither Jedi or Sith ever set foot but, the first Force users.

Episode 9 would find the Sith secure on Coruscant directing their fleet against the failing G.A. forces and all the Jedi joining Jaina and the others on the lost world. Once they are all their, the force spirits of legendary Jedi join force spirits of the first Force users to teach the current Jedi a new technique, Force Coordination. With this technique attuned within them, the Jedi head to Coruscant as the G.A. launches all it has at the Sith. It ends with climactic Jedi/Sith duels that ends the Sith and leaves 35 Jedi alive.

Throughout these episodes would be recollections of events that had gone before in the SWEU, such as the Vong, Jacen's fall, and Abeloth.

Thus, Episodes 10+ would have a firm footing to launch from.

Making new movies with recasts of the original characters, Luke, Han, Leia, etc., would be met with much fan disgruntlement, which is why Lucas set the trilogies far enough apart to avoid that trap. For, as much as he is not that great a script writer, Lucas is very much a visionary with incredible foresight.

So, if it goes down this way, here's the proof that I was right!

Then, I will do my happy dance! May the Force be with Star Wars, always!

Recollection, speculation, and optimism now fuel the future of a galaxy far, far away!

When asked about the future of this Star Wars thing Lucas had started and where it was going, GL replied{summarized from memory}, "It's a 9 part story about these two robots. Hopefully, I can make them all in my lifetime but, we will have to see how the next one does."

I remember him saying that as well. I also remember being disappointed when he later said he was gonna limit it to six films. Glad to see this Disney moves brings the movies back to life!

I've been watching Clone Wars on youtube and it is surprisingly entertaining.

Everything is still a bit in the future...a little far far away. After Disney acquired LucasFilm Ltd. the pot of rumores has been boiling like crazy. Previously Mark Hamill decided to share his thoughts on starring once more as the adventurous Luke Skywalker, and even George Lucas himself confirmed that he had a basic idea of how Skywalker could be featured once more. It turns out Hamill isn't the only one interested in possibly reprising his original Star Wars role. EW is now reporting that Harrison Ford might be interested in returning as the charming, and rough pilot, Han Solo, as well. Apparently all three essential cast members (of the original trilogy) are open to the idea of bringing the iconic characters back to the big screen.

“Harrison is open to the idea of doing the movie and he’s upbeat about it, all three of them are,” said one highly placed source, referring to Ford, Mark Hamill, and Carrie Fisher, the trio that made a hyper-speed jump to global fame on May 25, 1977, the opening night for George Lucas’s original Star Wars film.

Harrison Ford recently came out and said that he would be open to the idea of returning as Han Solo in the next Star Wars movie Disney is planning for 2015. Well, now Carrie Fisher has said that she would be willing to reprise as well.

Entertainment Weekly was able to nab a quick interview with Mark "Luke Skywalker" Hamill. When asked about Disney purchasing LucasFilm, Hamill says he was caught off guard like all of us. But the other news that there would be future Star Wars films was not a surprise to him at all. Mark reveals to EW that he and Carrie Fisher met with the bearded Jedi, George Lucas, just this past summer. During this meeting Lucas let them in on a secret, plans were already in motion to make Episodes VII, VIII, and IX.

Entertainment Weekly: So you met with George this past summer and he told you about his plans to make another trilogy?

Hamill: Yeah, last August, he asked Carrie (Fisher) and I to have lunch with him and we did. I thought he was going to talk about either his retirement or the Star Wars TV series that I’ve heard about—which I don’t think we were going to be involved in anyway, because that takes place between the prequels and the ones we were in and, if Luke were in them, he’d be anywhere from a toddler to a teenager so they’d get an age-appropriate actor—or the 3-D releases. So when he said, “We decided we’re going to do Episodes VII, VIII, and IX,” I was just gobsmacked. “What? Are you nuts?!” [laughs] I can see both sides of it. Because in a way, there was a beginning, a middle, and an end and we all lived happily ever after and that’s the way it should be—and it’s great that people have fond memories, if they do have fond memories. But on the other hand, there’s this ravenous desire on the part of the true believers to have more and more and more material. It’s one of those things: people either just don’t care for it or are passionate about it. I guess that defines what cult movies are all about. We’ll see. I’m anxious to know what’s going on, but the main story [yesterday] was the sale to Disney. I have mixed feelings about that, but they haven’t done badly by Marvel and the Muppets and Pixar. It’s one of those big decisions that at first seems unusual but then the more you look at it, the more it makes sense.

EW: When you had lunch with George, did he get into any details with you about where the story would go in the next three films, or whether you would have a part in them?

Hamill: Well, no, he was just talking about writers and the fact that he wouldn’t be directing. I guess he wanted us to know before everybody else knew. He said, “Now you can’t tell anybody!” [laughs] Even now I’m nervous about saying anything. I just don’t know!

Movie Hole has recently spoken to an ex-employee of LucasFilm, and when the site asked about plot details, all they got back was this short reply, “No idea. just Luke, Leia, Han, Lando”.

Up to this point everyone has been fixated on whether or not Princess Leia, Han Solo or Luke Skywalker would be returning, but there hadn't been any word on Lando. Of course this is just a rumor, but it certainly would make sense for ‘Lando Calrissian’ to make an appearance in the sequel(s) as he did help defeat the Empire at the end of Star Wars: Return of the Jedi. And of course if he is returning that would mean actor Billy Dee Williams can join his old friends Carrie Fisher, Harrison Ford and Mark Hamill on the set.

More From Mark Hamill On Returning As Luke Skywalker In STAR WARS EPISODE VII

Probably the biggest question fans have about the new Star Wars movies coming our way is: Will they bring back characters from the original trilogy? Well, it seems Mark Hamill - who played the hero of the saga, Luke Skywalker, in those first three films - has a few questions of his own that need answering before he'll commit to anything. E UK caught up with the actor at the premiere of his new movie, Sushi Girl. "We have questions about it," said Hamill, speaking for himself and Carrie Fischer. "And really, they're not even at the stage where they're able to answer those questions because, as far as I know, is there a story yet? Until I know more about what they have in mind, I think it's better to let Lucas Film make the announcements." Hamill was then asked about the possibility of another actor taking over the role - perhaps playing a slightly younger version of the character. "If they were going to do a story where Luke was too young or too old for me to play, they would get an age appropriate actor," he said. "There's so many good people."

It seems Kasdan and Kinberg have indeed been hired to work on Disney's new Star Wars movies, it won't necessarily be episodes VIII and IX that they will be writing. THR reveals that it could be some of the spinoffs that will be part of the “every two to three year” plan set for the new saga that the two will work on. The site also mention the "Skywalker storyline", confirming what we had pretty much already figured - the initial series of movies at least, will indeed revisit the characters from the original trilogy.

From THR..

"Their scripts could turn into official “Episodes” in the main Skywalker storyline, or they could form the basis for spinoffs focusing on side characters. Disney CEO Robert Iger said the goal is to release a Star Wars movie “every two to three years,” and some could easily focus on other pieces of the expansive mythos (similar to Marvel’s Avengers universe). Disney and Lucasfilm declined comment."

So which characters would you like to see become the focus of the spinffs? Obviously Bobba Fett is a popular one, but personally I'd like to see the continuing adventures of that poor one-armed, Walrus-faced bastard Ponda Baba.

Ewan McGregor Open To Returning As 'Obi-Wan Kenobi' In STAR WARS EPISODE VII

Arguably the star of George Lucas' unpopular prequels, Ewan McGregor has finally revealed whether he would be willing to reprise the role of 'Obi-Wan Kenobi' in Disney's (and Matthew Vaughn's?) Star Wars Episode VII.

George Lucas Clarifies His Role As "Consultant" On The New STAR WARS Trilogy

Access Hollywood managed to get a few words with George Lucas at the Governor's Awards in Los Angeles on Saturday and quizzed him on what exactly his role as "Consultant" means for Star Wars Episode VII and beyond. After the mostly disastrous prequels, many fans have met the idea of Lucas having ANY involvement with the new movies with a great deal of trepidation (despite him creating the beloved universe and characters). "[If the filmmakers ask],‘Who’s this guy?’ I can tell them. I mean, they have a hundred encyclopedias and things, but I actually know a lot. I can say, ‘This is this and this is that.’" In other words, "Basically I’m not — I don’t really have much to do," he added. As for those recent reports about Steven Spielberg helming Episode VII, Lucas was also quick to dismiss the idea, stating: "I’m pretty sure he’d never want to do that!"

Reuters have posted a report about the Guatemalan rainforest which George Lucas used as 'Yavin 4' in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. It was from this planet that the Rebels launched their attack on the Death Star from, and if the following is to be believed, it appears as if we should expect to see it return in Disney's currently untitled Episode VII...sort of. "Yavin 4 and the rebel base return to the Star Wars plot in the forthcoming Episode VII, announced in October by the Walt Disney Co, in which Skywalker comes back to the planet to build a Jedi Knight academy. However, fans said that Disney will likely film those scenes in a studio rather than return to Tikal." They don't reveal where exactly this information came from, but it sounds like more than simple speculation on their part. On the other hand, the fact they say, "fans said" may shed doubt on the validity of their claims - we'll just have to wait and see. Stay tuned for any further updates!

We'll just let that sink in for a second. Despite shooting down rumors that he'd be taking over the directing duties of George Lucas ' space classic, Abrams has reportedly agreed to direct the next film, which is due to hit theaters in 2015, per trade reports .

The search for a director had included a who's who list of big names, including Steven Spielberg, Guillermo DelToro, Matthew Vaughn, Brad Bird and many more . Michael Arndt is said to be writing the script.

In the meantime, Abrams has been keeping busy reviving another sci-fi classic series; his sequel Star Trek: Into Darkness is set to hit theaters May 17.

Han, Luke, And Leia All Expected To Return But Their Children Will Be The Stars In EPISODE VII

Showbiz 411 reports that all three original stars from the original series will return in their iconic roles.

"I just got back and saw a story running wild about Harrison Ford playing Han Solo in the new Star Wars revival. No one seems sure about it. I was told some time ago that Ford, Carrie Fisher, and Mark Hamill would be reprising their roles… the three main actors are definitely coming back.

But they won't be the main stars. Here's what they say about the primary players in the next trilogy.

It’s some time in the future. Han, Princess Leia (with a presumably better hairstyle), and Luke Skywalker will be a lot older. Their children will be the new main characters… the bigger question is, which young actors will play their kids?

Admittedly, I'm not much of a Star Wars buff but Luke has a son named Ben and Leia and Solo have three kids, Jacen, Anakin and Jaina. I won't go in to detail here and spoil it for those also unfamiliar with what happens after Episode VI but it's pretty easy to find out with a bit of research. There's nothing too shocking here as most expected the next installment to focus on the children of Han and Luke although there were a few rumors that the series would pick up right where Episode VI left off. More news as the story develops.

Williams had recently stated: "We’re about to play Star Wars [audience interrupts with cheers] and each time we play it, I’m reminded of the first time we played it decades ago. Neither I, nor George, nor anyone else involved thought this would go far or in a few years there would be a sequel and I’d have to revisit the themes…and years later another trilogy. Now we’re hearing of a new set of movies coming in 2015, 2016…so I need to make sure I’m still ready to go in a few years for what I hope would be continued work with George…[more cheers]."

With that said, Williams probably doesn't know that JJ Abrams is set to helm the next film. It would be interesting to see this happen, only time will tell.

I'm not sure anything drives Star Wars geeks into a foaming frenzy like Carrie Fisher dressed in her Jabba's palace bikini from Return Of The Jedi. And now we a brand new behind-the-scenes snap of the lovely Miss Fisher, all "slaved" up on the beach..

Sam Witwer has become something of a Star Wars veteran over recent years, lending his voice and likeness to "Starkiller" (Darth Vader's secret apprentice after the events of the prequels) in The Force Unleashed video game series and also voicing Darth Maul in The Clone Wars animated series. Talking to IGN Movies recently, the actor had this to say about possibly returning for a third instalment of The Force Unleashed and whether he would have any interest in finally taking on a live action role in J.J. Abrams' Star Wars: Episode VII. More from the actor can be found by clicking on the link below. http://www.ign.com/articles/2013/02/20/a-tale-of-two-mauls?page=2

On Whether We Will See A Third Instalment Of The Force Unleashed:

I would certainly be open to it. The thing is, right now, Lucasfilm needs to concentrate on this little thing called Star Wars: Episode VII. If I'm them, that's where my focus goes right now, and it has to. It's the most important thing they have coming up in the future. The Clone Wars is already successful. Now Disney has to prove themselves with the ownership of the franchise. Kathleen Kennedy needs to shepherd that into some far-reaching stuff. In terms of cold, business, financial matters, The Force Unleashed series is extraordinarily viable. It did very, very well. We also have that third part of the story that Haden Blackman and I have talked about that's really wonderful. I think that you could see us round back to it and finish it up, but it would obviously be for the next generation of console systems, certainly not this one. And it would have to be after Episode VII. It just has to be that way. Lucasfilm is the kind of company that puts all of its resources behind the project they’re working on at the time. So, really, that's where I'd put my resources if I were Lucasfilm.

On Exactly How Much He Knows About Star Wars: Episode VII:

You know, a little bit. I knew that there was another Star Wars movie coming maybe eight months before everyone else did, but what I didn't know was that it was Episode VII... There have been a lot of surprises, and then also, again, information finds itself my way because I'm under NDA of the company. It's funny, because there was an audition for a very important role in an upcoming Clone Wars season, and I was suggesting some friends of mine read for the role -- and I was also reading for the role. So a friend of mine came in, and they're like, "Okay, get ready to read this." They kind of just threw him a script, and he was like, "Wait, I didn't know that I was reading for this character!" It was a well-known character. And they said, "Didn't Sam tell you?" This is my best friend, and he said, "No, he didn't." I was like, "Well of course I didn't tell him!" [Laughs] "That's your job, Dave Filoni! You're Lucasfilm, dammit! I'll send actors your way, but I'm not going to tell them why. That's your job." So because of that, information does sometimes find its way to me, and people know that it's not going to go any further -- under penalty of death.

On His Interest In Taking On A Live-Action Role In Star Wars: Episode VII:

I would kill for the opportunity to just be in the room and audition, honestly. I really feel like, in a weird way, I've put my time in and I'm ready for that type of opportunity. I've portrayed a lot of Star Wars characters, and they've been very different from each other. It wasn't just me being a fan and feeling like, "Okay, I'm ready to do this role!" No, that wasn't good enough. I had to go and watch 1940s movies and Casablanca and Double Indemnity and The Killing and all this stuff that George Lucas would have watched when he was younger. You know, even the 1930s serials like Flash Gordon. It's all stuff where Star Wars came from -- the Kurosawa films, all these things. All of that research informed how I approached these roles, and fans seem to think that it feels right. If it does, it's because I feel like I've made an effort to try to understand George Lucas and where this stuff comes from. I wouldn't feel comfortable just shooting from the hip because Star Wars is too important to me, so I did my homework. I feel like if J.J. Abrams was like, "Yeah, let's call in Sam Witwer for an audition," I'd feel like I could do a pretty good job in that audition room, because I think I understand this stuff. I think I know how you'd perform it, whether it's a big bad evil guy or one of the protagonists. So that's my personal opinion. [Laughs] I don't know if that holds any weight in terms of the people that are in the room right now, but yeah. I feel that I could do a decent job with it.

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Character actor Richard LeParmentier, who as a young Death Star commander learned the hard way that Darth Vader brooks no disrespect, died Tuesday. He was 66.

LeParmentier died unexpectedly Tuesday morning in Austin while visiting his children, said his publicist, Derek Maki. Maki said he does not know the cause.

LeParmentier was born in Pittsburgh, but moved to Britain in 1974 and had been living in Bath, England, when he died.

As Admiral Motti in 1977's "Star Wars," LeParmentier's character mocks Vader's "sad devotion to that ancient Jedi religion." Vader responds with a demonstration, using the force to choke the young commander, but allowing him to live.

LeParmentier appeared frequently in British television roles throughout his career and was working as a screenwriter when he died. He played a reporter in 1980's "Superman II," which featured actress Sarah Dougless — the villainess Ursa — with whom he was married from 1981 until 1984, according to their imdb.com profiles.

It was for his "Star Wars" role that LeParmentier may be best remembered as an actor.

"He absolutely loved traveling the world and meeting his friends and fellow Stars Wars fans, whose tributes have given us all the best lines in this message," LeParmentier's family said in a statement.

"He was no respecter of convention, except comic conventions," said Rhiannon, Stephanie and Tyrone LeParmentier.

"Every time we find someone's lack of faith disturbing, we'll think of him," they said.

Huge Star Wars news has just broken from the Celebration Europe event currently being held in Essen, Germany - John Williams will be returning to the saga to score Episodes VI, VIII and IX.

The news was confirmed by Episode VII producer, Kathleen Kennedy, who appeared at Celebration Europe this morning. During an hour-long Q&A, moderated by Warwick Davis, Kennedy made vague references to what we can expect from Episode VII (or, as she calls it, Ep VII).

She started off by confirming that the new movies would use real locations. "Like many of you, looking at all the Star Wars movie and getting a feeling for what even the early films did in combination of real locations and special effects, that’s something we’re looking very seriously at," she said.

"We’re going to find some very cool locations we’re going to use in support of Ep VII. I think we’re going to probably end up using every tool in the toolbox to create the look of these movies. that’s what we’re excited about."

But then, as things were wrapping up, Davis asked her for one tidbit that would leave the thousands of Star Wars fans in attendance in a state of enchantment. And she delivered.

"I had breakfast with someone very important to the Star Wars family on Friday," she teased, "and he has committed to being involved in the next three films, and that is Mr John Williams."

The news of Williams' involvement, although seemingly a foregone conclusion, is huge. With JJ Abrams on board as director, the smart money had perhaps been on his long-time composer Michael Giacchino coming aboard, but Williams' themes are so indelible to the saga, whether it's Duel Of The Fates, The Imperial March or Yoda's Theme, that it's a joy to see that the legendary composer will be returning to Star Wars.

"I look forward to returning to a galaxy far, far away," said Williams in a video, played at Celebration Europe. "I actually feel like I never left it. I hope I can contribute something in the new films that will be worthy of your continued attention."

After the video played, Kennedy explained, simply, why Williams' involvement with the new movies was a must. "Every time I hear John’s music, it just gives me the chills. It’s so important to the saga. We’re all really excited that he’s a part of this."

For more on Celebration Europe, stay tuned to our Twitter feed - @empiremagazine - over the weekend.

And if you would like a little more on Williams, check out the 80 Reasons Why John Williams Is The Man.

While Marvel Comics may be getting the license to Star Wars starting in 2015, there is still a full year to go with Dark Horse Comics in charge of the Galaxy far, far away. And as one of their final acts, they’re giving fans the final chapter to one of the more beloved parts of recent Star Wars canon – the Clone Wars animated series.

When Star Wars: The Clone Wars ended last year after five seasons, several questions were left dangling, maybe the most prominent being “what the heck happens to Darth Maul??” The Sith Lord from The Phantom Menace (and maybe the only cool part of that whole movie) was brought back from the dead in season four of Clone Wars, in a major storyline that spanned the last two seasons. We all know he’s nowhere to be seen in Revenge of the Sith, and when we last saw him on the show, he was being smacked down hard by Darth Sidious for being a bad little Sith boy and trying to be as ruthless as his master. Although there is still a lot of what would have been season six done and in the can, soon to be released as “bonus content”, what would have been the Clone Wars’ series finale detailing the final fate of Darth Maul never got around to being told. But that’s about to change, as Dark Horse is about to give fans the long awaited conclusion to the Clone Wars in comic book form in Darth Maul: Son of Dathomir, from writer Jeremy Barlow and an artist still to be determined. The first issue will be hitting this May.

Talking with Newsarama, writer Jeremy Barlow said, ”Due to the Star Wars: The Clone Wars TV show’s sudden cancellation, Lucasfilm wasn’t able to film the final episodes of the series, which is a shame because the story is an important — and action-packed — chapter in Darth Maul’s continuing evolution as envisioned by George Lucas; Dark Horse and the team at Lucasfilm saw an opportunity to save these teleplays from obsolescence and we’re adapting them into a four-part miniseries called Darth Maul: Son of Dathomir.” As far as to what Star Wars locales we might see in this this story, according to Barlow, “We start at that secret prison (where Maul has been imprisoned by the Emperor) carved out of massive obsidian blocks and from there we bounce to the harsh moon of Zanbar, hit the Black Sun stronghold on Ord Mantell, and finally make our way to Dathomir, which is as dark and dangerous a place as you can get.”

Although there is the possibility this story could still be animated at some point, if it does, comic book fans will have a leg up on other fans getting to see this story come to a close before anyone else does. Darth Maul: Son of Dathomir should be just what the doctor ordered to tide fans over before the premiere of Star Wars: Rebels Episode VII the following year.

Star Wars: Episode VII isn’t the only return to the Galaxy far, far away that’s imminent; before that comes out, we’ll have the premiere of Star Wars: Rebels this year, and now, via a story in USA Today, we have our first glimpse into one of our main characters, a “cowboy Jedi” who goes by the name of Kanan. Rebels takes place fourteen years after the events of Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, so he’s been hiding out and forsaken the Jedi code after the destruction of his way of life by Darth Vader and the Empire. Kanan is clearly a Han Solo type, rough around the edges and comfortable using a blaster, and only the events of Rebels lead him to pick up his old lightsaber once again. Voiced by Freddie Prinze Jr., Kanan seems to be a combination of Luke Skywalker and Han Solo, with a little facial hair added for good measure. It also appears that Kanan is the captain of the main ship on the show, The Ghost, which looks a lot like early Ralph McQuarrie concept drawings for the Millennium Falcon.

37-year-old Prinze, a definite member of the Star Wars generation (he even has the scars to prove it, from “lightsaber fighting” when he was four years old) said about his character, “He’s been forced to shove a massive part of his life under the bed, so to speak. Is he living a lie? At a certain point, the lie kind of becomes the reality. And to suddenly be forced back into your Jedi ways, it’d be a bit of a challenge for him. And pretty awesome, too, when you can see what a Jedi can actually do.” Having survived Order 66 as a kid, and seeing his culture all but wiped had a deep impact on him. ”He definitely has seen more than what a young man should see. And what he had to see was pretty much the worst thing you would have to witness.”

The show debuts with a one-hour special on Disney Channel in the fall before moving to half-hour episodes on Disney XD.

He's busy now working with Fox on the Fantastic Four reboot at the moment, but very soon Josh Trank will head over to Lucasfilm for one of the planned Star Wars standalone films, joining Godzilla and Monsters' Gareth Edwards in the ranks of impressive young directors heading to a galaxy far, far away.

"We’re thrilled to welcome Josh into the family," says Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy in a press release. "He is such an incredible talent and has a great imagination and sense of innovation. That makes him perfectly suited to Star Wars, and for this new slate of movies that reach beyond the core characters and storylines of Episodes I through IX.”

"The magic of the Star Wars Universe defined my entire childhood," Trank himself adds. "The opportunity to expand on that experience for future generations is the most incredible dream of all time."

Details are thin on the ground, but we do know that at least three spin-offs are planned to keep the Star Wars pipe full between Episodes VII, VIII and IX, everything else about them is a mystery besides the fact that X-Men: Days Of Future Past writer/producer Simon Kinberg and Episode VII co-writer Lawrence Kasdan have been overseeing their development and The Book Of Eli/After Earth's Gary Whitta is specifically on board to script the film Edwards is set for. Whitta's credits give us pause, but we'll keep our fingers crossed.